Brett Favre believes that his confrontation with Mark Gastineau regarding Michael Strahan’s sack record was orchestrated by ESPN and NFL Films. Last December, ESPN released the trailer for its 30 for 30 documentary titled The New York Sack Exchange, spotlighting Gastineau’s resentment toward Favre for intentionally taking a sack to allow Strahan to claim the NFL’s single-season record, a title previously held by Gastineau.
The trailer featured an awkward moment at a memorabilia show in Chicago where Gastineau confronted Favre. In the clip, Favre, unsuspecting and smiling, approached Gastineau for a handshake, only to find that the former defensive end had no intention of a friendly exchange. In a recent episode of The Michele Tafoya Podcast, Favre recounted the encounter, expressing his belief that it was not a spontaneous event.
“There are athletes from all sports; generally, it’s retired guys,” Favre said, reflecting on the memorabilia show. “You encounter a lot of different guys, but I had no clue, and I really think that was a setup by ESPN and/or NFL Films. There was a camera hiding above this divider. I believe Mark has serious concussion issues, but I’m not a doctor. I had never met him before… he came right to the table – still a big guy – while I was signing. I looked up, greeted him with ‘Hey, Mark!’ and immediately realized he wasn’t all there. Honestly, I thought, the last thing I want is to fight this guy right here.”
Favre admitted his instinct was to either strike first or flee the encounter. “To have to be thinking that is crazy,” he told Tafoya. “That was a weird moment.”
22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play.
Catch the latest @30for30, ‘The New York Sack Exchange,’ on ESPN and ESPN+ starting Dec. 13. pic.twitter.com/Oz5KRwVcy7
— ESPN (@espn) December 10, 2024
Gastineau claimed he was unaware Favre would attend the memorabilia show, while his former teammate Marty Lyons, who witnessed the incident, attempted to dissuade Gastineau from confronting Favre. Additionally, NFL Films’ Ken Rodgers, who directed the 30 for 30, mentioned that the incident was unexpected.
Thus, while Favre perceives it as a setup, it appears unlikely that a conspiracy was at play. However, it does seem plausible that those involved with the documentary might have been prepared for such a confrontation once they learned Favre would be present, providing an added boost in promoting the film.
